This review first appeared in IPW, the newsletter for all discount games
club members. Contact colin@allusedgames.demon.co.uk for details.
Across Five Aprils
Victory Games
This is not so mucm a ‘quad’ as a pentagame - five battles in one box.
As such it's rather good value. The games themse1ves range between the
small Bentonville to the large and predictab1e choice of Gettysburg.
This allows players to choose a battle to match their playing time.
The units are at brigade level generally, keeping the counter mix
reasonab1e and playing time fairly short but you will find that all
games can be played to a conclusion in an evening.
A game turn starts with placing chits in an opaque container. These are
drawn out one at a time. Each chit represents either a division or corps
and when a formations chit is drawn it may move its component units in
the standard way. In some games, Confederate corps have two chits. This
just increases the likelihood of their moving before the Union,
simulating superior leadership. It does not allow them to move twice!
Along with formation units, there is also a Union and a Confederate
Combat Phase chit. As these are also drawn at random, a players combat
phase can turn up at anytime during a game turn, often before some units
have moved into place. As all adjacent units must be attacked, this can
be disastrous.
Combat is fairly standard odds modified by terrain with a dice roll
modification for morale. However, both attacker and defender roll on a
seperate CRT to inflict losses on each other. As you can imagine, combat
can be short and blooody. Artillery can bombard non-adjacent units and
it is here that my only negative about this game lies. Bombardment, like
combat, is based on odds. This means units stack to avoid the effects of
artillery, which is the exact opposite of what actually happened
historically. A separate bombardment CRT, not based on odds, is
required.
Short simple rules cover night and fortifications and that really is it.
A few easy rules ecxlusive to individual battles are found in a seperate
rules folder along with historical background and designer notes. So
let's look at the individual games.
Bull Run (July 21st, 1861)
First major battle of the Civil War, fought whilst both sides still
expected the war to be decided by a single major engagement. Fairly low
unit count with both sides suffering poor morale.
The Confederates defend a river line. The Union forces launch a frontal
assault, but this is just a faint, the real assault being an outflanking
move which enters the map further West. Victory depends on control of
three victory hexes.
Pea Ridge (7-8th March, 1862)
In this game, the Confederates need to seize three victory hexes from
the, initially, outnumbered Union forces. Two Confederate columns enter
from the N. East and N. West. Their army is the usual mixture of regular
army, irregular militia and 'civilised' native american indians who are
terrified of artillery.
Pea Ridge was the largest Civil War battle fought West of the
Mississippi river. Confederate morale is poor, but Union reinforcements
enter only in dribs and drabs. A hard fight is guaranteed.
Shiloh (6-7th April, 1862)
The best of the five for my money. Whilst Union forces slumber in their
tents, the Confederates move in for a surprise anack. This is simulated
by Union forces having no chits to draw in early turns. The Confederate
has time to manoeuvre his forces into a favourable position before
launching his assault. Once the assault goes in, the effects of surprise
wear off and the Union receives reinforcememts, including two gunboats.
By the second day, the Union will have the advantage, assuming he
survived day one.
Victory is based on geographical locations and possibly losses.
Gettysburg (1- 3rd July, 1863)
Any series of US Civil War games features an obligatory Gettysburg game
and Across Five Aprils is no exception. A full three days of battle is
simulated making this the largest game in the set. The map will be
familiar to many gamers and has all the usual terrain; the Big and
Little Round Tops, Peach Orchard etc.
Victory can be awarded to either player at the end of any of the three
days. Like Stalingrad and the Bulge, Gettysburg has been simulated many
times before. This does not, however, detract from the fact that the
designer has produced an interesting and exciting game.
Bentonville (19th March, 1865)
Whereas Bull Run was the first major battle, Bentonville was very nearly
the last. In effect a Union corps is ambushed by a Confederate army.
Described as a well planned but poorly executed battle historically, the
game is quite fun. In reality, a Confederate victory would have done
nothing to alter the outcome of the Civil War at this late stage.
All five battles are exceptionally well balanced and the game system
makes them exceptionally good fun. Vlctory have produced many fine
games, but this must be one of their best. Excellent for solo play,
beginners or grognards. Even to those who, like myself, have little
interest in the US Civil War, I would highly recommend buying this game.
Alan Sharif